Gearless differential mechanism.



\S. M. DICK.

GEARLESS DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISIW.

APPLICATION man APB. 12, 1915.

Lmm. Patented July 3, 1917.

iin sanas .narnia tinten.

SAMIUEL M. DICK, OF

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ANIDBBFNVj H. MAAS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM.

insee-if.,

tial lllechanism, ofwhich the following a specilication. l

The object of my invention is to prov-1de a driving mechanism by means of which the J rear wheels of a motor driven car or other vehicle may be operated at diderent speeds y and either forward or backward.

A further object is to provide a driving mechanism by means of which the motive power is equally distributed to the rear wheels when the car is running forward in a straight line and automatically shifted to the wheel of slower motion when the' car is making a curve. The motive power is applied equally to both wheels and will therefore be most effective through the wheel working on the most solid surface when the car is driven through snow, mud or sand. i

.l further object is to provide a locking means for the mechanism to allow the appli` cation of powerv to either wheel, orboth wheels, at the will of the operator, the accidental shifting `of the powerbeing impossible.

'lhe invention consists generally in various constructions Land combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims'.

lin the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, j

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view `of l rear axle and rear wheel hubs, showing :my improved gearless differential mechal nism applied thereto, Y

Fig. 2 is adetail sectionalA View, illustrat ing the normal position of the clutch parts for straight forward movement,

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the position assumed by the clutch balls when the wheels are rounding a curve,

Fig., 4 is a sectional view on the line of F ig. 1., A

Fig. 'is a sectional view on the line y-y of Fig. 1.

ln the drawing, 2 represents the rear wheel hubs. having bearings 4f and 5 on a suitable housing 6. -The middle portion of this housing has a casting l inclosing the Specification of Letters Patent.

the shaft.

Patented July 3, 191W..

Application filed April 12, 1915. Serial No. 23,916.

gear wheel 8 that is driven from a suitable i i 8. The ends of the sleeve 10 project through the hubsZ, concentric with the wheels, and disks 12 have hubs 13 rigidly secured on said sleeve and provided with ball bearings 10. These disks are provided with openings lel therein to receive clutch members, such as balls 15, loosely fitting therein andof s'uiiicient diameter to project outwardly on each' side beyond the surfaces of the disk. Thehub 3 has a iiat surface 16 opposing the disk 1Q and parallel therewith, and said sui-face has recesses '17 therein provided with cam surfaces 18 on which the clutch balls 15 are adapted to roll, said recessesvarying in depth to allow the clutch balls to move in and out through the holes forced into engagement therewith by the pressure cf the balls.

Referring now to 1, 2O is a rod, eX- tending through the driving sleeve 10 from end to end and having bearings therein and projecting outwardly beyond said sleeve and' having disks 21 secured to said projecting ends in position to bear on the outer faces of the balls in the disk 12 and limit their outward movement. This iod is adapted to l move lengthwise in its bearings, following the inward and outward movement of the balls. lf those on one side enter the recesses in the hub of the wheel, the rod 2O will slide' toward the other side and allow the balls on that other side to move outwardly and pass out of the recesses in the hub atthat end of lf the wheels are running forward in a straight line, vthe bearing balls will force the springs against the cam surfaces and assume the position shown in Fig. 2, the balls being clamped between the disks 21 and the cam surfaces of the recesses in the hubs, thereby temporarily locking the hubs' and thedriving sleeve together In roundingacurve, theouter wheel will, of course, move faster than the inner one vand thel hub of the outer wheel`will gain on the bearing balls in engagement therewith to such an extent that the Aballs willroll back to the low part the Aballs bearing onl the hub on the other of the cam surfaces, as indicated in F ig. 3. When `the clutch ball at one side of the machine seeks theV deeper part of the recess in the hub of fthe wheel on that side, the disk 21, contacting with these balls, will be allowed to move inwa'rdly` and permit side ofthe machine to `roll out of their recesses, as indicated in Fig. 3, and temporarily release the wheel on that side.

The drive of the sleeve 10 will continue and the clutch ballsof the outer wheel will be carried up on the cam surface againv `to drlve the outer. wheel, and continue in this position'until said outer Wheel again gains or overtakes the balls and causes them to rol'l back to the low p art of the cam surface in the bottom of the recesses. This release and pick-up of the outer Awheel will continue as long'as-the machine is roundingy a turn and there is a varia-tion in the travel of the wheels. As soon,'however, as Athe wheels begin to run forward in a straight line, the clutch balls will automatically return to'their locking position, as indicated 'in Fig. 2, b oth balls bearing on the hi h' parts ofthe cam surfaces *andv driving t e wheels forward at the same speed.

For the purposeV of locking the mechanism, I provide set screws 22 in the disksl21 in position to engage the disk 12 on either side of the machine. If the set screw on the left hand side of the figure is moved into contact with the disk 12A on that side, the

-rod 2O will evidently be moved lengthwise, releasing the left vlhand' disk 21 from its clampin v to run i le while the corresponding disk on the other side of the machine will be drawn inwardly to clamp the balls andl the wheel hub together. Thus setting up the screw on one side or at one end of the axle operates to clamp or lock the wheel on the other side.

A The clutch balls and the friction disks are ,g 1. A' gearlessl differential comiprising a driving member, friction clutch means'carfA -position and allowing the balls ried Y thereby, `loosely l mounted carrying wheels having friction surfaces to be engaged by said friction clutch means, clampf ing members for engaging said clutch means with said friction surfaces, said clamping members -having means for connection with one, another for lallowing one member to move inwardly toits clamlping position and the opposite member to move outwardly to its releasing position.

2. A gearless differential comprising a driving member, friction clutch balls carried thereby, loosely mounted carrying wheels v having hubs provided with cam frictionsurfaces to be engaged by said balls and laterally'moving clamping means for engaging said vballs and forcing them aga-inst said cam surfaces'to Ilock said wheels.

3. AY gearless differential comprising a driving miember, friction clutch balls carried thereby, loosely mounted carrying wheels having' hubs provided with vrecesses therein, and cam surfaces formed in thebot- .tom of said recesses, aA laterally moving clamping means engaging said balls for holding them in said recesses to drive said wheels, tlierecesses of the outer wheel in rounding a curve allowing that wheel to gain 1n speed on the clutch balls and compensate for-the dierence in travel between the outer wheel and the inner wheel. A

LA gearless differentialv comprising a housing, carrying wheelsloosely lmounted thereon and having hubs provided with friction cam surfaces, a driving sleeve concentricwith said housing and having friction balls to engage said cam surfaces and a clamping means for locking said balls in engagement with said surfaces, said clamping means 'having a lateral movement and releasing the wheel on one side when the clutch balls on that side are opposite the lov points on the cam surfaces for that s1 e. i

5. A ,.gearless differential comprising a housing, loosely mounted carrying wheels having hubs provided with cam friction surfaces, a driving sleeve concentric with said housing and hubs, disks mounted on' said driving sleeve, friction balls mounted in said disks inposition to engage the cam surfaces of said hubs, and means for clamplie ing said -balls against said friction surfaces to lock said wheels and disksjzogethel.

6. A 'gearless differential comprising loosely mounted carrying `wheels .having hubs provided with cam surfaces, a driving sleeve, disks mbunted thereon, friction balls carried by said disks to engage said cam surfaces, a rodconcentric withsaid sleeve andhavmg an endwise movement therein,`

disks mounted on said rod and contacting with said friction balls, said clamping disks holding said balls against said; friction surisoy iaeaaaa faces for straight ahead movement of bothv of said Wheels, the movement of the low points of the cam surfaces of one Wheel to a.

position opposite the friction ball of that Wheel allowing endvvise movement of said rod to release'the clamping disk of the other- Wheel. v

7. A gearless differential comprising a suitable housing, carrying Wheels loosely mounted thereon, and having hubs provided with cam; surfaces, a driving member concentric with said hubs, friction clamping means carried by said driving member to engage said cam surfaces and drive said wheels, a rod concentric with said driving member, disks mounted. on said rod and having bearing surfaces to contact With said friction means and clamp them against said cam surfaces, said rod having a longitudinal movement to allow inward and outvvvard movement of said disks to clamp or release said means.

8. A gearless differential comprising. a housing, carrying Wheels loosely mounted thereon having friction cam surfaces, a drivf ing member concentric With the hubs vof said wheels, disks secured to said driving member, bearing balls mounted in said disks t0 contact with said friction surfaces, a rod concentric ywith said driving member, clamping plates mounted on said 'rod and arranged to bear on said balls and hold them in en* 'gagenrent with said friction surfaces, and l means for' temporarily locln'ng either of said clamping plates on its adjacent disk.

9. A gearless differential comprising a housing, loosely mounted carryingvvheels having hubs provided With recesses and cam surfaces formed in said recesses, springs mounted in said recesses to bear on 'said cam surfaces, a driving member having disks mounted thereon, clamping balls mounted in said disks to enter said recesses and con- 5 lnecting said clamping members with one another and allowing onefmember to ,move inwardly to its clamping position and the opposite member. to move outwardly to its releasing position.

In witness ,Whereof,'I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of November, 1914.

SAMUEL M. DICK.

Witnesses:

EDWARD A. PAUL, GENEVIEVE E. SORENSEN. 

